This invention relates to caskets and more particularly, to a metal casket that can be shipped as a compact collection of casket parts and then easily assembled at a remote location.
Caskets typically include a base or shell formed as a complete unit together with a lid or cover hinged to the base. The lid or cover is either a single cover extending the full length of the casket or separate lower and upper cover portions which are often capable of being individually opened and closed. Since the cover and shell are designed as a unit and coordinated with one another, typically the structure of the casket is completely or substantially completely manufactured at one facility and shipped as a fully assembled unit to its destination. A fully assembled casket occupies a large space and, as a result, shipping and storage costs are high.
Over recent years, there has been a continuing effort to provide a casket design that is comprised of a group or kit of components and subassemblies that may be very compactly packaged for shipping and therefore, more efficiently and economically transported through the distribution system to the destination of use of the casket. Preferably, the casket is easily assembled at a location remote from the factory, and the final product is as functional and visually appealing as if the casket had been fully assembled at the manufacturing facility. The success of such an operation depends to a great extent on the capability of the casket design to eliminate, from the assembly process, operations requiring great skill or complicated and expensive tooling.
Prefabricated or ready to assemble wooden caskets are known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,197 and 5,709,016. Prefabricated and ready to assemble metal caskets are also known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,448,810 and 5,813,100. As with wooden caskets, the manufacture and assembly of metal caskets is labor intensive and requires highly skilled labor using complex and expensive equipment. For example, metal casket parts are first fabricated and then welded together. The weld joints must be finished with a grinding operation, and thereafter, surfaces of the casket are finished typically by spray painting. While known prefabricated ready to assemble metal caskets function reasonably well, there is a continuing effort to provide simpler, less expensive and more easily assembled metal caskets that have comparable quality to those metal caskets assembled at a supplier""s manufacturing facility.
The present invention provides a ready to assemble casket that is easily assembled at a location remote from where the components of the casket have been manufactured. The invention has the advantages of permitting a metal casket to be more economically packaged, shipped and stored prior to use. Further, the metal casket can be assembled with a minimum of simple tools and complicated welding and finishing operations are not required.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention and in accordance with one embodiment, the present invention provides a casket having a plurality of side walls including a first wall having a first tab extending from an edge of the first wall and a second wall having a second tab extending from an edge of the second wall. The first and second tabs are overlapped to form a joint connecting the first and second walls. A bottom is connected to lower portions of the side walls to form a shell therewith; and a cover is mounted on upper portions of the side walls to form a closure for the shell.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a casket having a plurality of side walls with peripheral slots extending from lower sections of respective walls. A bottom has a periphery extending into the peripheral slots of the side walls to join the bottom and the side walls together so that the bottom and side walls form a casket shell. A cover is mounted on upper portions of the side walls to form a closure for the shell.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a casket has a plurality of side walls wherein a portion of the side walls has an upward opening groove. A decorative material extends around the portion of the side walls and is secured in the groove. A bottom is connected to the side walls to form a shell; and a cover is mounted on upper portions of the side walls to form a closure for the shell.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, a casket includes a plurality of side walls and a bottom having a periphery connected with lower sections of the side walls to form a shell. A cover is mounted on upper portions of the side walls to form a closure for the shell, and the cover includes a cap providing an exterior finish for the cover of the casket and a dish disposed within the cap and providing an interior finish for the cover of the casket. The cover further has a frame with a first slot for receiving an edge of the cap and a second slot for receiving an edge of the dish. A header is connected to the cap and provides support for the dish and the frame to form an end of the cover. In another aspect of the invention, the cover is secured to the shell with a living hinge.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.